This summer I spent two weeks in Israel and Palestine, mostly in the West Bank. The group I traveled with, Interfaith Peace Builders, met with people from all sides of the conflict there, and had first-hand experience of the way people are treating each other. It left me somewhat radicalized, but not necessarily in the […]
An article about the Middle East trip
This article about my trip to Israel and Palestine came out in the Asheville Citizen-Times this past weekend. There are a few things I would change in it, but I’m really grateful to the reporter, Leslie Boyd, for her time and for giving attention to the issue. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880919019 As for the things I would tweak, […]
Who is my neighbor?
One of the most disturbing elements of the occupation of Palestine is the separation of Israeli Jews from Palestinians. Early in the trip we had an evening meeting with five students from Hebrew University who represented a broad spectrum of political views in Israeli society. The conversation was lively and there was plenty of respectful […]
Nazareth
Nazareth This week has been astoundingly dense and deeply emotional. Two days into the trip I already felt like my experience had been worth the effort and expense. I had no idea how each of the following days would multiply that impression. I’ve tried three times to start this update with a story from the […]
A movie recommendation
In preparation for my trip to Israel and Palestine next week, last night Deanna and I watched a movie called “Encounter Point.” I highly recommend it. It’s a documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and though it doesn’t flinch from portraying and engaging the depth and severity of the problem at any point, it’s a heartening […]